Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com

U.S. STOCKS MEANDER AND END NEAR FLAT

U.S. stocks oscillated between minor gains and losses throughout the session as investors attempted to gauge the tariff environment in the wake of the most recent announcements by President Donald Trump.

After telling 14 nations on Monday they faced higher tariffs by an August 1 deadline, Trump on Tuesday announced a 50% tariff on imported copper and said long-threatened levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals were coming soon.

The announcement helped push copper stocks such as Freeport-McMoRan FCX.N higher and lifted the materials .SPLRCM index up 0.5% on the day as the second-best performing S&P 500 sector, behind the 2.7% jump in energy .SPNY.

Despite the gains, the benchmark S&P 500 .SPX index ended the session slightly below the unchanged mark, unable to rebound from declines in the prior session, while the Nasdaq composite .IXIC eked out a slight gain, and the Dow Industrials .DJI saw the biggest decline of the three as Goldman Sachs GS.N and JPMorgan JPM.N weighed.

Below is your closing market snapshot:

(Chuck Mikolajczak)

*****

EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:

BOFA CLIENTS STEP UP THEIR SELLING

BEYOND THE FROTH, HOPES FOR BROADENING CLICK HERE

SMALL BUSINESS CONFIDENCE TICKS LOWER, NFIB SURVEY RESPONSE RATE PLUNGES CLICK HERE

NO BOUNCE CLICK HERE

PLATINUM ETFs: A QUIET SHIFT WORTH WATCHING CLICK HEREGROWTH CHUGGING ALONG VS VALUE CLICK HERE

BEARISH POSITIONING COULD FAVOUR OF ASML ON EARNINGS DAY CLICK HERE

US VS. CHINA: WHY COULD EUROPE PAY THE PRICE? CLICK HERE

EUROPEAN STOCKS UNFAZED BY TRUMP TARIFF UPDATE CLICK HERE

EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: STOCK FUTURES STEADY AS TARIFF SHOW ROLLS ON CLICK HERE

TARIFF DEJA VU TAKES HOLD CLICK HERE